Sunday, January 25, 2009

Citizens for Legitimate Government: "Imagine two doors, as in Kafka's 'Before the Law.' The first door is guarded by a big bad mean old guard, who says you cannot go into the chamber to confront the law. But, he tells you, if you do get through this door, the one he guards, then you will be confronted by another guard at a second door; this second guard is even more resolved, five times stronger, and more intent on keeping you out than the first guard. This is what the first guard tells you of the second. And the first guard is right.

This is a parable. The first guard is the Republican Party, the Old Garde. This guard will not let you by him, but if you do manage it, you face the real obstacle to change. The second guard represents the Democratic Party, the Avant Garde (from the perspective of the moment). This second guard is the real obstacle to change. This guard has the system's well being at stake every bit as much as does the first guard. Only this guard isn't seen by most people as a guard, because he's only an obstacle if one gets past the first guard, and actually demands to get past him as well, which seldom happens.